The HfP chat thread – Monday 1st February

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• John says:

  1 Feb1 February 16:04

  Least surprising news story of the day:

  https://m.independent.ie/news/ryanair-boss-michael-oleary-accuses-nphet-of-mass-hysteria-as-he-launches-tirade-against-health-chiefs-and-rte-40035305.html

  Least surprising follow up:

  https://m.independent.ie/business/travel-agents-dispute-michael-olearys-claim-on-ryanair-refunds-40036929.html

  • John says:

    1 Feb1 February 16:13

    “Mr O’Leary said Ryanair would not be asking customers for proof of vaccinations.”

• gary says:

  1 Feb1 February 16:17

  I suspect I know the answer to this one, but someone on here may have some ideas.

  I have a friend who is very wealthy and a BA gold for life member. He has accrued millions of Avios and can never be bothered to use them. He is lucky enough to be able to book and pay for first whenever he wishes to travel. This of course means he is accruing ever more Avios.

  He has kindly offered to transfer them to me, but I suspect this isn’t allowed? please can someone confirm this and if it isn’t allowed is there any other way of me being able to benefit from his Avios?

  • Genghis says:

    1 Feb1 February 16:38

    He can transfer some every year but the transfer amount won’t touch the sides by the sounds of it. Easiest way is for him just to book flights for you and your travelling companion(s) and I guess you pay the taxes.

  • BJ says:

    1 Feb1 February 16:42

    1. He can pay BA to transfer them to you.
    2. He can book flights for you using his avios.
    3. He can make you a third party nominee allowing you to operate his account in your own interests.
    4. He can transfer them to you for free via nectar but there is a cap.

  • Ikaz says:

    1 Feb1 February 19:44

    Create a household account with both of you

• Secret Squirrel says:

  1 Feb1 February 17:04

  When using BA 241, on calling BA to book inbound flights does calling BA CS on the U.K. line direct you at 12 automatically to another BA call centre who can deal with the booking around the world or do you have to specifically call BA CS say in Singapore?

  • MattB says:

    1 Feb1 February 18:06

    Have to call one of they foreign call centres

    • Secret Squirrel says:

      1 Feb1 February 20:26

      Any you would recommend as picking up the phone quickly?

• Venturelog says:

  1 Feb1 February 17:06

  If you earn Hilton Diamond status early this year (presumably this covers it until early 2023), and it says you need to earn x amount of nights to renew, which you also do this year, does that cover it until 2024/2025?

  • Rob says:

    1 Feb1 February 17:26

    No. You are wasting time putting nights to Hilton this year for status purposes if you already have it to 3/23 in the bag, as I do.

    • Darren says:

      1 Feb1 February 19:55

      Rob
      if I gain Diamond status this year does this last until 3/23?

      • Rob says:

        1 Feb1 February 20:04

        Yes – usual rule so rest of current year, all of following year and a stub period in the next year.

• Princess says:

  1 Feb1 February 17:54

  Hi everybody, looking for advices.
  Ryanair cancelled one of my flight back in December and re-booked me for free the next day. They are now refusing to pay E261 transport and food expenses. Is not much (around £80) but it really irritate me. Any suggestion?

  • Rob says:

    1 Feb1 February 18:02

    Sounds correct to me, to be honest. You only get expenses when you flight is delayed. This a full rebook.

    • Princess says:

      1 Feb1 February 19:07

      thanks Rob, my mistake then, I thought the duty of care was entitled also when I flight was cancelled especially last minute… Everyday I learn something new!

    • Charlieface says:

      1 Feb1 February 19:43

      Depends if it’s outbound or inbound, in other words if you are on home ground you are expected to go back to / stay at home

      • Princess says:

        1 Feb1 February 19:55

        it was an inbound flight to come back home in London, I din’t pay for accommodation as I stayed with family but had extra expense for food and an extra day for the hired car.

  • Ikaz says:

    1 Feb1 February 19:50

    Your Flight was cancelled, you are due duty of care and they should pay for your expenses if you couldn’t leave on the same day

    • kitten says:

      1 Feb1 February 20:50

      100% due. for sure 3 meals for extra day at usual local rates.

      transport to and from a hotel, should you have needed one, also covered (as well as hotel cost but you didn’t need one).

      I think you could still argue the car cost extra day (hopefully you have some sort of receipt or confirmation of the change cost to add the extra day) represented transport to and from the alternative accommodation you managed to secure. FR could try to argue cos you didn’t need a hotel then the transport costs provided in EU261 were also not needed. Morally they were due but FR has the rep of weaselling out of everything they can based on very small print.

      I think you will win this at CEDR as they have more scope to interpret law reasonably.. but gotta feeling someone said Ryanair isn’t signed up to any ADR scheme.

      If no CEDR then I would still MCOL it and if necessary produce something to show not only did you manage to stay on privately, avoiding hotel cost Ryanair would have been responsible for, without a rental car taxi to new flight would have been x [more] money and so extra transport cost of 1 day car hire as transport from extra night accommodation needed due FR cancellation cost less.

      You should win in court/MCOL too but just in case of small print, if you’d paid a tiny amount for extra night accommodation I would feel no chink in your armour.

      Follow whatever dispute procedure Ryanair have, but as soon as it’s fial answer or 8 weeks trying then CeDR (if poss) otherwise MCOL it.

      You could also talk to your UK credit card, if used, about doing a Section 75 claim off Ryanair for consequential losses ie your extra costs and they will recover from Ryanair. Likely to take less time than MCOL for the answer.

      • Princess says:

        1 Feb1 February 21:10

        hi Kitten, thanks for your detailed reply, really appreciated! I’ll first give a call to Amex (food was paid on a BA credit card, but the extra day for the car on the Platinum) and see what they say about section 75. Seem easier, you are right Ryanair is not part of any ADR scheme

        • Charlieface says:

          1 Feb1 February 23:47

          Remind Amex that S75 obligations mean they are equally liable to the contract, which stipulates duty-of-care. This is nothing to do with the amount paid for the flights.

        • kitten says:

          2 Feb2 February 00:03

          for s75 to apply, the flight that Ryanair cancelled has to gave been paid by UK credit card.

          How you paid for the extra expenses is totally irrelevant.

          The basis of your s75 claim is Ryanair did not provide the flight on the specific date as purchased, and due to this you incurred extra consequential losses (costs) which Ryanair are liable for under EU261 but refused to pay.

          s75 covers consequential loss and only covers things purchased by credit card not charge card.

          Chargeback is a different scheme, is available on most charge cards anf credit cards, but in unlike s75 only covers the actual paid item and its cost, unlike s75 which also covers consequential losses.

      • Princess says:

        2 Feb2 February 06:56

        Thanks @Kitten and @Charlieface (I’ve seen the reply below but I can’t reply there). I now understood about section 75. Indeed the flight was paid by Amex BA card, so that’s the route I will try.
        Thanks to clarify, I was mixing chargeback with s 75. I didn’t have it clear. You have been super helpful!!!

• Venturelog says:

  1 Feb1 February 18:03

  Rhys/Rob are you covering the new Jet Blue suites? The look, design & layout are beautiful

  • PK says:

    1 Feb1 February 18:10

    I have been on a Jet Blue suite before, and their are just lovely! 🙂

  • Andrew says:

    1 Feb1 February 18:17

    Those front row suites look amazing. Especially for a narrow body.

  • Rob says:

    1 Feb1 February 20:10

    Tomorrow.

• Aaron C says:

  1 Feb1 February 19:11

  Is it worth converting 15k nectar to avios? I rarely use nectar retailers but if it is poor value I’ll leave them in nectar and buy something form Argos next time I need something they sell.

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    1 Feb1 February 19:24

    I would wait for a transfer bonus to be honest

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      1 Feb1 February 21:50

      What i meant by that is leave as much in nectar as possible until a transfer bonus comes along

      • Rob says:

        1 Feb1 February 22:29

        There won’t be a bonus, because you could just transfer the points back again – as you can now. It makes no sense.

  • Andrew says:

    1 Feb1 February 19:37

    There’s a transfer bonus on right now.

    • Rob says:

      1 Feb1 February 20:06

      Do it to get the 500 Avios bonus. Transfer them back if you want to go to Argos – but not until the promo end date.

      • Chris Heyes says:

        1 Feb1 February 22:40

        Rob But 500 Avios bonus (going off now defunct Tesco valuation)
        Is/Was only worth around £2.
        I looked at Sainsburys to Avios offer last week decided not worth the effort ?
        looks like most of your readers thought differently to me though
        unless they didn’t realise how miserable the offer was
        Some even transferred Avios to Sainsburys to transfer back again for what £2 ?

        • kitten says:

          2 Feb2 February 00:27

          Hi Charlieface Plat is a charge card not a credit card so no s75.

          These duty of care costs are based on the purchase of the flight not having been fulfilled as purchased so ‘with which card’ the flight is purchased, is determining also for consequential losses of the cancellation.

          Amex Plat includes its own separate scheme which can be asked about paying, or mayve the by travel insurance part of Plat covers it, but as it’s a charge card it does not come under the UK s75 statutory provisions. But who cares if Amex might cover it? Princess should ask Amex if she paid the flight by Amex).

          How she paid the car doesnt count – it was the flight that was not provided as purchased so that’s what the claim is based on. The meals and extra car costs are consequentially beinv recovered but that’s consequential to the flight purchase for s75.

          If Amex Plat charge card pays out it will be under more general provisions like their benefits they add to the card generally or possibly under the trav insurance with the card.

          If flight *was* paid by credit card then s75 is the route.

        • kitten says:

          2 Feb2 February 00:29

          below is on Princess problem – Wordpress lost reply sequencing

        • kitten says:

          2 Feb2 February 00:29

          er…above

        • Rob says:

          2 Feb2 February 09:54

          It’s a 60 second job, not a dreadful rate of return!

  • Peter K says:

    1 Feb1 February 20:00

    It depends on whether you will get more than 0.8p value per Avios. If not then look again at the Nectar options.

    Remember, you can swap between the two at any point (up to your monthly limit).

• Harry T says:

  1 Feb1 February 19:12

  I was given 40k in September to keep my Plat and hasn’t referred anyone. Rang again this month after a few referrals, and wasn’t given a retention offer.

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